You are using Internet Explorer 8 to view this site. IE8 is a 6-year-old browser that does not display modern web sites properly. Please upgrade to a newer browser to make best use of this site. Contact your local library branch if you require assistance. For more information, see this FAQ page.

According to author John Green, The Fault In Our Stars was inspired by his friendship with Esther Earl, who "redefined the process of dying young for me." (December 2012 Good Reads interview, http://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/828.John_Green). He cautions his readers not to take the novel too literally however, stating that he doesn't "want people conflating Esther with Hazel (they're very different), and it's extremely important to me that I not claim to be telling Esther's story. Esther's story belongs to Esther and to her family." (John Green's tumblr, August 2, 2012 http://fishingboatproceeds.tumblr.com/post/28557373623/everybody-was-told-to-make-a-funny-face-but-i). Esther's story is told in the 2014 posthumous memoir This Star Won't Go Out : the Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl. Sixteen-year-old Hazel, a stage IV thyroid cancer patient, has accepted her terminal diagnosis until a chance meeting with a boy at cancer support group forces her to reexamine her perspective on love, loss, and life. Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

So many people recommended this book that I read it although the plot description really isn't my cup of tea. What makes it truly stand out is the authentic voices of the characters and the unflinching reality of the challenges they face. Don't expect a tidy wrap up at the end.

I was so ready to love this book. Booklist gave it a good review. But for me the language didn't ring true. And the philosophy in the book tried to be oh-so-intellectual but it fell flat. I didn't buy the ending either. Gus would not have written to Van Houten, asking for help with Hazel's eulogy. Neither Gus or Hazel liked or respected the man.

This story is another beautifully written novel that is however, tragic. It's a very good young adult book that leads you excited to explore adult fiction. It's romance based with fiction, and very good story. Touched my heart and is a must read.

I felt like this book didn't let me know Hazel Grace as a character, but more of someone who was part of a couple. If I had had the chance to know Hazel and Augustus more as individuals it would have been easier for me to grieve Gus's death.

Very captivating book. I love the place shifts in the story. The fast paced motion of the plot. Teenagers with the minds of adults? Maybe they were more of teens. Still, it is a great story of love and compassion.

Quotes

“I believe the universe wants to be noticed. I think the universe is improbably biased toward consciousness, that it rewards intelligence in part because it enjoys its elegance being observed. And who am , living in the middle of history, to tell the universe that it—or my observation of it—is temporary?”

"I am," he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.”

Summary

A heartwarming story about finding love in dark times, The Fault in Our Stars explores the life of Hazel Grace. Hazel, who suffers from thyroid cancer, attends a cancer support group weekly, where she meets Augustus Waters. Hazel and Augustus become fast friends but will their friendship survive and potentially become something more in the face of hardship?

Hazel is a 16 year old girl that has thyroid cancer. She has to carry an oxygen tank around with her to give her oxygen. She met Augustus in a cancer support group. The bond between them grew each day but days have to come to an end. Through their journey, they learn to love no matter what they are.

This is a romantic, but very real and heart breaking story. It will bring you to tears. You have Hazel then you have Gus. Hazel has cancer. Gus is in "remission". They are in love. There the perfect couple.Until you hit the reality that they have both have cancer. If you want to know what happens to this young couple you will have to read the book to find out.

The fault in our stars is a sad cancer story and an excellent love story but it is not any ordinary cancer book. In the Fault in our stars we follow Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus waters on an exciting journey of their love. Augustus is in love with hazel but hazel says she is a grenade and doesn’t want to get too close to Augustus. What will happen when Hazel finally falls for Augustus and one of them has bad news?
I thought this was a great book because it tells a really good story that is hard for me to categorize in any type of book genre. The Fault in Our stars maybe a cancer book but it is not an ordinary cancer book its an extraordinary cancer book with a great tale of love and an exciting mini adventure packed in one book and told in about 526 pages.

This is a magnificent love story about two teens with cancer.
It is all about how Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters spend their time together as they fall in love.
Through ups and downs and terrifying trips to the ER they are hopefuls.
It shows that just because you have cancer, doesn't mean you are a useless game piece on the board of life.
This story will captivate you from beginning to end, as you experience the roller coaster ride that is their lives.
It is a must read for all.